My first camera purchase

[sleepyhead]

Complete and utter camera n00bie here.

Requirements:
1. small and portable (ie I dont want to have to lug around a laptop bag and a camera bag with bits)
2. take good pictures during day, night and everything inbetween.
3. ability to take long exposure (so you can get those great night shots of cars going by)
4. not looking at spending over £300.

I'm (not yet) one for carrying lots of additional extras to get that perfect shot; I like my C905 as a camera and it's panoramic photos are simple and achieve good results. It does lack when there is low light when it wants to use flash or if you flash force off, the picture is blurry due to no tripod. The 8 megapixel camera produces really nice big pictures and the macro function is good (well in my inexperienced view it is). However I feel I need a dedicated camera (after the holiday to Tokyo) but after fiddling with a friend's "bridge SLR" I don't think I could handle using it properly.

The camera just has to have a good mix of being able to setup for a nice shot yet be portable enough I can sling it in my laptop bag or pocket and take good pictures when semi-drunk in the middle of Shibuya

Also if the camera can use MicroSD or SD as a memory card then that would be a big tick

Thanks in advance!

[kalniel]

Canon SX200is? £230 and an additional £50 cashback from canon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-PowerS...S4RMJ19KJC1JZJ

Has full manual controls as well as fully auto modes etc.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 is a well rated alternative:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-Lu...2976281&sr=1-1

Less manual control over the camera, but better higher ISO performance.

[sleepyhead]

Canon SX200is? £230 and an additional £50 cashback from canon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-PowerS...S4RMJ19KJC1JZJ

Has full manual controls as well as fully auto modes etc.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 is a well rated alternative:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-Lu...2976281&sr=1-1

Less manual control over the camera, but better higher ISO performance.

Good gracious man, that is one quick reply! lol!

In your opinion which is the more "ideal" positive to have? Better ISO or better camera control?

I am liking BOTH cameras though

Do either cameras have the ability to be mounted to a tripod/gorilla pod?

[Flibb]

What about a canon G10, would be a good camera to grow in to.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-CANON-Powe...item5885434d2d

[sleepyhead]

What about a canon G10, would be a good camera to grow in to.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-CANON-Powe...item5885434d2d

Looks like a very ice camera but is over budget.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

One of my mates has the ZS1(which is basically the same camera as the TZ6) and it is fantastic for a general purpose compact. The zoom lens covers a 35MM equivalent range of 25MM to 300MM and has optical stabilisation as well. The lens is not only wide enough for taking pictures of scenery but also is excellent for group shots too and taking pictures in tight places. The telephoto end is also long enough to be of some use too. The camera also has a very good autofocus system which works quite well in dim light too - excellent when you are going out!!

The TZ7(also known as the ZS3) can take higher quality videos than the TZ6.

Here is a review for both cameras:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q209...zoom/page4.asp

[kalniel]

Good gracious man, that is one quick reply! lol!

In your opinion which is the more "ideal" positive to have? Better ISO or better camera control?

I am liking BOTH cameras though

Do either cameras have the ability to be mounted to a tripod/gorilla pod?

Both cameras can be mounted onto tripod no problem. The canon's mount is off centre and plastic, but that was never a problem for my tripod work, not sure where the panasonics mount is, but it'll have one certainly.

Personally I'd go for manual control over slightly better ISO, especially with the cashback - the panny is still a compact sensor so relatively poor low-light performance is more or less just a factor of life until you get to DSLR sized sensors. All the point and shoot digital cameras I've had have had full manual control (and have all been canons) so I don't really know how much I'd miss it, but it has been useful for me and good preparation for when I moved up to a DSLR.

But they're both fine cameras so if you can get to a local DSGi shop or Jessops etc to have a quick play and see which one you get on best with that's probably more important.

[sleepyhead]

Well things are on BIG pause at the moment...money being diverted elsewhere for the time being BUT I should be able to grab either of those cameras within the next few months.